Simple
by JudeTheObscure90
Summary: AFter the battle has been one, Harry and Hermione enjoy a simple night of homework and tea.  Short and sweet. First fan fiction ever so... be gentle :


Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room desperately trying to make a small dent in the mountainous pile of homework they had accumulated during the past few weeks. It was hour number four and Harry was beginning to lose motivation, compared to Ron however who had lost motivation on minute number four, Harry was doing quite well. "Ugh… Hermione!" he finally sighed in exasperation, "can we _please _take a break? My eyes are killing me. I honestly cannot read another sentence…" he set down his quill and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"But Harry we have our N.E.W.T.S. on Friday!" She squeaked in response, seemingly appalled at the thought of foregoing their work. Ron, who had fallen asleep, jolted awake in his chair.

"Iwasn'tsleeping!" He slurred, but promptly resumed his place of drooling on the cover of his Muggle Studies textbook. Harry was surprised when Hermione did not try and wake him. Normally, she would poke and prod him until his work was completed, but tonight she simply ignored him – leaving him to his fate.

"Well… I am going to bed," he said slowly putting his books back inside his backpack, as if any sudden movements would alert Hermione to his incomplete pile of homework. Her eyes shot up at him and he froze in place.

"Where do you think you're going?" He rolled his eyes in resignation and slumped back down in his chair.

"I just… I can't do any more work. My brain is done. Kaput." She shook her head in response to his protest, but her eyes never left her parchment as she scribbled mercilessly at it.

"Harry don't you understand? We cannot get jobs in the Muggle world. We do not have college degrees!" Her voice was hoarse and shrill from lack of hydration. Harry was sure she had not been down to the dining hall during dinner, and he was feeling quite malnourished himself. If he wanted to starve and be overworked, he would have simply stayed at the Durselys…

"Hermione – look – let's just go down to the kitchens and grab a snack. Then I promise I will work as late as you deem necessary." They had discovered the location of the kitchens during their fifth year at Hogwarts. Hermione had decided to take the liberation of the House Elves upon herself, and had been secretly leaving articles of clothing around the school, freeing unsuspecting house elves. She gazed at him skeptically.

"As… _late _as I see necessary?" Harry nodded but groaned inwardly. He was going to need some tea as well… or a shot of adrenaline. They both glanced down at Ron who was snuggled up against his books, a goofy grin spread across his face. Harry and Hermione shared a look that conveyed it would be better to just let him sleep. Waking up Ron was never an easy feat. They made their way down to the great hall and through the corridor full of still life paintings, which largely featured fruits or vegetables. Arriving at the painting of a large silver bowl full of exotic fruits, Harry reached his hand up and tickled the side of the pear. The frame swung forward off the wall revealing a small doorway leading into the expansive kitchens. It was quite late and many of the house elves had gone to bed, only a few remained cleaning up the dishes and levitating them to their proper places on the high, teeming shelves. Harry glanced over at Hermione as she gave a deep yawn. She looked tired. Her eyes were red from straining to read in the dim firelight of the common room, and her skin was pale. She had been working an awful lot lately, and harry had been so preoccupied with his own N.E.W.T.S. he had not noticed how frazzled his best friend had been.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, turning to regard her, "are you alright?" She must have noted the seriousness in his face because a small furrow appeared on her brow.

"Yes, I am… just tired. I will be glad when I have taken my N.E.W.T.S. and we can enjoy the rest of this year in peace." She busied herself with the teapot on the stove and harry could not shake the suspicion that she was hiding something…

"What aren't you telling me?" He tried to ask as casually as possible, but it still came out wrong, sounding more like a threat than concern. She leaned across him and grabbed two teacups from the cupboard pouring them both a steaming mug of hot tea. The smell alone rejuvenated Harry's energy. Hermione looked as thought she was contemplating something deeply as she took a seat on the bench in front of the stove. Harry sat next to her.

"Don't you ever think about what you want to do?" She asked turning to face him.

"Yeah," said Harry, "I want to go to sleep." But Hermione did not laugh.

"I am being serious Harry. I feel like… I dunno… I guess I never really thought about it until after the war was won. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I had assumed I would be hunting down horocruxes forever…" Harry felt the humor drain from his face. He stared at his reflection in the black surface of his teacup and found he could not argue with her.

"I know what you mean… I didn't even expect to be alive at this point… let alone thinking about something as trivial as a job." Harry immediately regretted saying this as he watched Hermione's eyes fill with tears. "Oh, no… Hermione I am sorry I didn't mean to -" but she had cut him off.

"I always knew… you could defeat him." Harry felt a sudden upsurge of affection for Hermione as she sat next to him, comfortably, drinking their tea. It had been six month now since the night of the final battle. Six months since Voldemort had died, six months since his world had been reborn from the ashes of 17 long years of fire. Most nearly everyone had thrown themselves into rebuilding Hogwarts and trying to return life to "normal," but Harry had not been able to bounce back so quickly – neither had Hermione. They had shared something in those three weeks they spent alone, travelling by themselves, adrift an unknowing. Lost together. Even Ron had been able to compartmentalize his emotions and continue on in some twisted form of normalcy. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as tears threatened to form in his eyes, and he felt an all too familiar stinging sensation forming in the back of his throat. She locked eyes with him in silent understanding, and laid her head on his shoulder. It was not a romantic gesture… It was just… them. It was a gesture of friendship and support, of affection and love.

"Thanks "Mione," was all he trusted himself to say without his voice breaking. She sniffled in response and intertwined her fingers with his. They finished their tea, soaking up the warmth from the stove, and Harry remembered her previous question. "I think I would like to be an auror," he said confidently. She turned and smiled at him.

"I think you would make a great auror… that is if you ever finish your homework." Harry laughed aloud.

"You have not changed one bit Hermione." They stared at each other for a brief moment, and harry thought he saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Wondering what he had said wrong he returned his attention to his empty teacup. The remaining tealeaves forming an odd shape in the bottom of his cup reminded him of professor Trelawney and he chuckled softly to himself.

"What?" Hermione asked inquisitively leaning over to see what he had found so amusing. The confused look on her face indicated that she did not get the joke. Harry held his cup out in front of them, angling it so that the tea leaves formed the familiar shape of a wolf-like canine. Understanding dawned on Hermione's face and she let out a joyful giggle. A sound, Harry found, which he greatly enjoyed hearing. It reminded him of one of the nights they spent alone together in that cramped, musty old tent. Ron's radio had been playing a song from one of the nearby Muggle radio stations. It was shortly after Ron had left ad Harry had tried to lift both of their spirits by dancing with Hermione. He felt his face warm slightly as he remembered the feel of her cheek against his. It had been nearly the only warmth he had felt during those icy, bitter weeks… how grateful he was for her decision to stay with him. He would definitely not have made it if it was not for her. New tears pooled in his eyes as he reminisced silently, and he squeezed Hermione's hand for comfort.

"Dance with me?" He asked, unaware of his desire to do so until the words had fallen from his mouth, quite ungracefully at that. Surprise flitted across her features momentarily, but it was quickly replaced with a fondness that warmed Harry to his core.

Nothing was said as she pulled him to his feet just as he had done nearly half a year ago, and into the center of the large kitchen. There was no music, but it was not the music that Harry needed, it was the closeness – the companionship. They had shared something that night, a mutual loneliness, a mutual anger, and angst, a sense of insignificance… Harry could not help the smile that spread across his face as Hermione pulled him close to her, feeling the same connection flow between them, as if there was an invisible thread sewing them back together. Warmth rushed through him leaving a trail of goose bumps on his skin. Slowly they moved in a circle, her head on his shoulder, and her arms around his neck. Gripping her hips more tightly he squinted away happy tears.

"I love you, you know?" He said into her hair. She stayed where she was against his chest.

"I know…" that was all that needed to be said. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else mattered. It was a fact. They had survived together, for each other and because of each other. It was such a simple, perfect, pure moment Harry thought it may have been a dream, and he was asleep next to Ron and his untouched pile of homework… Time flew by unnoticed. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, slowly swaying in each other's arms, but as they made their way back to the common room hand in hand the sun began to peak up over the mountains in the distance. The common room was empty now, Ron must have managed to drag himself up the stairs at some point, and the fire in the fireplace was reduced to slowly simmering embers. Birds could be heard faintly singing from the grounds, and Harry found himself unable to let go of Hermione's hand. She turned to regard him – her eyes shining brilliantly in the soft morning light. Unspoken fondness was passed between them and he clutched her hand more tightly, leading her over to the large leather love seat in front of the fireplace. Sitting down she curled up against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. Harry thought he heard her faintly murmur something about 'finishing astronomy assignment' and grinned widely at the top of her head, where he placed a soft kiss before drifting off to a dreamless sleep.


End file.
